


The First Time Ever I Saw Her Face

by Valerie B (HowNovel)



Category: Starman (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1990-05-09
Updated: 1990-05-09
Packaged: 2017-11-20 22:22:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/590284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HowNovel/pseuds/Valerie%20B
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Paul reminisces about the first time he met Jenny. Then a letter from her arrives. Or is it a trap?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The First Time Ever I Saw Her Face

The First Time Ever I Saw Her Face  
By Valerie B.  
© May 9, 1990

“The first time ever I saw your face…” The haunting refrain of the popular 70’s song drifted across the hallway into the two bedroom apartment currently occupied by Paul Forrester and his son, Scott Hayden. The words served to conjure up vivid memories of both the first and the last time Paul had seen the great love of his life, Jenny Hayden.

The first time had been 18 years ago, when his spacecraft had crash-landed after being shot down by the U.S. military. They’d sent out an invitation to any intelligent life in the Universe to come visit and, when he did, that was the reception he had received. Of course, he didn’t occupy a human body then. In his natural state, he was pure energy, a vibrant being and, to borrow a term he’d once used to describe himself, a blue light.

Jenny Hayden! She’d been the first living human being he’d ever seen. He had cloned himself a body from a strand of hair that had been pasted in a book full of photographs. In that book had been pictures of the human whose body he had so carefully duplicated, as well as photos of the young woman he came to know as Jenny Hayden.

Such a gamut of expressions had flitted across her face when she first saw his – the most prominent one, he now realized, being that of fear. But back then, when everything on Earth was new to him, he didn’t know or understand the vast range of emotions felt by the dominant species on this planet.

Jenny Hayden! For three days, she’d helped him elude the government agents who were relentlessly pursuing him, mistakenly thinking him a threat to their world. She’d taught him so many things, the most important being how to love.

He would never forget the look on her face when they managed to rendezvous with the mothership and she taught him how to say goodbye. Such sadness, reflected with shining luminousity in her eyes. But, strangely enough, there was also joy in the knowledge that although she would never see him again, he had left a part of himself behind. He had given her a son.

Fourteen years, and another body later, he returned to Earth because he mistakenly (or was it really wishful thinking) thought that Jenny was calling him. Instead, he found a teenage son. Confused, hurt and angry. More emotions that he didn’t properly understand. But he learned. They learned. Together! Always searching for Jenny Hayden, who seemed to have disappeared off the face of the planet when Scott was only three years old. And the searchers were also the hunted. George Fox, the government agent who had so nearly captured him 14 years ago, was relentless in his pursuit of him this time.

So near and yet so far, both for the searchers and the hunters. Until that day when he walked into the bar in Saguaro and it was like the first time ever he’d seen her face. The sun rose in her eyes. And he stood stock still, drinking in the beauty of her. Yet, somehow, she was different. There was an ethereal, elusive, fragile quality about her that hadn’t been evident 14 years before. He hadn’t wanted to frighten her and didn’t quite know how to handle the situation. In the end, he avoided telling her who really was but, somehow, she managed to fall in love with him all over again. And, of course, he never stopped loving her.

It had all been a wonderful dream. Too good to last. He eventually told her his real identity and, for a few hours, they thought they could be a real family. But fate – and Fox – intervened. Both he and Scott had been shot with a tranquilizer dart and captured. Just before he lost consciousness, he remembered seeing the look of horror on Jenny’s face, the anguish and hopelessness in her voice as she shouted his name. Paul! And that was the last time, ever, he’d seen her face.

That was over three years ago now. Wayne Geffner, Jenny’s brother, had helped both Scott and him to escape Fox’s clutches once more. They intended meeting up with Jenny, but Fox had put a tail on her so they were unable to meet as planned. Jenny effectively disappeared again, just like she had 11 years previously.

And so weeks turned into months. A year passed. Two. Then three. It had been over a year since the last narrow escape from Fox. Since then, they moved six times – each time to a new job arranged for them by their dear friend, Liz Baynes.

This latest assignment was nearing an end so Paul had expected a letter from Liz with another assignment when he visited the Post Office that morning. There was no letter from Liz. Instead, this –

 

_May 8, 1990_

_My Darling Paul and Scott,_

_I’m hoping with all my heart that this letter reaches you at your latest mail drop. You may be wondering how I got this address. The answer is simple. Liz Baynes, of course._

_She booked a table at a restaurant and I overheard her give her name to the hostess. After some initial misgivings, I approached her and asked if she knew Paul Forrester. I immediately saw the shutters go down over her face and she became defensive, so I knew then that she was truly a friend and could, hopefully, lead me to you._

_It was wonderful to learn some news of you both, however, brief, and doubly exciting to find that she had an address of sorts for you. All I pray is that this letter reaches you before you have to move on. That you have managed to elude Fox this long gives me fresh hope._

_Now that I at least know the town you are in, I’m going to try to join you. I’ve checked various bus schedules and, to ensure I’m not followed (it doesn’t pay not to be too careful), will be coming by a devious route. All being well, I’ll be arriving on May 12, at 1:30 PM. I’m really hoping and praying that you will be there so that we can at least have the chance of being together as a family. If you’re not, then I’ll know that Fox is close again and you’ve had to run once more._

_Whatever happens my darlings, keep safe and remember – I love you both._

_Always your loving,  
Jenny_

The letter had taken four days to reach them. Today was May 12th. What will it be like this time, he wondered. The next time that he sees her face? Will it be the face he can wake up to every morning for the rest of his life? Will it be the face he carried in his heart for 18 years? Will it be his Jenny? Jenny Hayden!

“Dad! Dad, come on!” Paul was broken abruptly out of his reverie by Scott, who was literally jumping up and down with impatience and excitement. “Come on, Dad. Get a move on. It’s nearly 1:15. Mom’s bus is due any minutes. We don’t want to miss her. Hurry up!”

“Now Scott, don’t get too excited. It may be a trap. Don’t forget I can’t be sure that letter really is from your mother. I’ve never seen her handwriting before.”

“Oh, come on Dad. It’s been over a year now since we last saw Fox. I reckon we’ve given him the slip for good. I’m going anyhow.”

And with that, Scott Hayden ran out of the apartment building and down two blocks to the bus depot.

“OK, but be careful!” Paul shouted after his fast disappearing son.

Paul followed more slowly and, as he reached the corner of the street, the 1:30 PM bus pulled up at the stop light.

Suddenly he was looking into her face, her eyes. And he knew. His reason for being, for staying here on this planet. Jenny Hayden! It was like the first time – the first time ever he saw her face. He’d come home!

THE END

THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW HER FACE is a non-profit, amateur publication written for the enjoyment of STARMAN fans, and is not meant to infringe upon the copyrights held by Henerson-Hirsch Productions, Michael Douglas Productions, Columbia Pictures Television or ABC.


End file.
